


Kate's Discovery

by adeclanfan



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-13
Updated: 2013-09-13
Packaged: 2017-12-26 11:42:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/965531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adeclanfan/pseuds/adeclanfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate's never seen Magnus like this. It's not like her. Whether it's a good thing or not, Kate's not sure yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kate's Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Femslash in later chapters. Drug use.

"Hey, Hank."

"Hey." Henry was too engrossed in what he was working on to look up when Kate strolled in. That was usually a sign his current task was important. 

Kate pushed a thing-a-ma-jig back so she could perch a hip on one of the metal tables. Henry's work area off the main lab tended to be a bit messy. "So, I heard Will had to stitch the Boss up after today's capture."

That got his attention, and he blinked up at her, clearly surprised. "He did? I... wasn't there. I've been busy working on this modification to the…"

"Yeah," Kate cut him off before blah blah blah tech speak could take over the conversation. "Anyway, I was wondering if you've seen her? But, I guess not."

"Did you check her office?"

Kate had. "The doors are closed."

"Huh." Henry's brow did the adorable multiple crease thing as he frowned. "Maybe she's on a call?"

"After midnight?"

Henry grinned, "Our after midnight is London's rise and shine."

"True." Kate got that, would gladly accept the explanation, had it not been for the tell-tale scent lingering in the hallway outside of Magnus' office. She didn't know how to approach the subject, even with Henry. "Do you think we should be worried? Send someone in to check on her?"

"I've learned my lesson on that one. If her office door is closed, there is probably a reason, and you may not want to walk in on something…" He winced and refused to meet her eyes.

Kate wondered just what Henry had walked in on. "Uhm, well, Hank… there was a smell coming from her office. Not smoke from the fireplace. It was…" Kate's cheeks felt hot as she mumbled, "It smelled like weed."

"Oh!" Henry jumped like Kate had goosed him and swung around in his chair. "OH! That's not good. Magnus only dips into the Big Guy's 'medicinal' pot stash when she's really hurting. Something about modern pain meds not reacting well with her Source Blood physiology."

"So, the Big Guy grows marijuana, and Magnus smokes it? Shouldn't there have been a memo or some kind of heads up?"

Henry smirked and rolled his eyes at her. "Haven't you ever been in the greenhouse?"

"No. Why would I? It's all plants and other boring growing things." I explored most parts of the Sanctuary, she though sourly. The labs, the resident levels, the armory, the gym… those were places she felt comfortable in. "I have a black thumb," she confessed. "All it takes is for me to look at a house plant and... it dies." 

Henry laughed and she huffed at his amusement, "It's not funny, Hank."

His hands came up in defense. "Okay, okay. The Big Guy grows quite a few things in the greenhouse. Pot does have some legitimate medicinal uses, you know." He hesitated, then added,"There are also a few Abnormal plant species living in there, think Little Shop Of Horrors only meaner. So, don't go poking around without either Biggie or Magnus as an escort."

"Sure, fine, whatever. What do we do about Magnus?"

Henry shrugged, "If you're really worried, try knocking on the door. Me? I'm not going anywhere near her office." 

At that point, he went back to his work. Kate wanted to hit him. And she was still muttering under her breath when she reached the door to Magnus' office. 

It was still closed, and the scent of cannabis even stronger in the hallway than before. This wasn't the cheap stuff; Kate's nose knew enough to tell the difference. The smoke tickled making it's way into her nose and each additional breath was like a weight tugging at the precious, protective walls built up in her consciousness. Like most, she experimented with drugs when she got out on her own for the first time, but quickly learned she didn't like to be disconnected from her thoughts and body. 

Control was Kate's drug of choice. Clear head, good; happy floaty feeling, bad.

There was no answer to her knock, so she tried the door. It opened for her and Kate cautiously stepped in, looking around. Magnus was on the sofa, her left leg propped on what had to be half a dozen pillows. Her eyes were closed and she may or may not have been sleeping. More pillows were tucked behind her head and shoulders. 

As she approached, the older woman's eyes opened just a crack, then fluttered closed, again. Why hadn't Magnus gone to her rooms? Why stay in her office and use the couch instead of her bed? 

"Kate…"

"Yeah, Doc. I heard you were hurt…"

Magnus sighed, "Claws." Her right hand lifted and gestured for Kate to come closer. "Come here, I won't bite." Then, she smiled, and Kate doubted she was meant to hear the mumbled, "As much as I might want to." All the time she spoke her eyes remained close, and her face was as relaxed as Kate had ever seen it. 

The hand patted a spot on the couch near the Doc's hip. "Sit." 

Kate did as Magnus bid her, but she gathered her courage and said, "Are you stoned?"

A happy smile blossomed on her face, "Blissfully." 

"Henry said I should leave you alone." Kate was uncomfortable seeing Magnus like this. 

The Doc was always in control, and it seemed like a terrible invasion of her privacy to see her without her filters. 

Magnus chuckled, "Henry has notoriously bad timing."

"Whatever he saw, it seems to have traumatized him."

Kate jumped when, at that moment, the Big Guy stormed into Magnus' office through the side door. He seemed equally surprised to find Kate sitting with the Doc, and he gave her a sniff and a grunt of displeasure. "Magnus needs to rest."

"Shouldn't she be upstairs in her rooms instead of camped out on the couch?"

The Big Guy stopped at the big desk and was doing something. He looked up and huffed, "No."

"I've fallen asleep on this couch before, and it's as hard as a rock."

He ignored her until his task was complete. As he walked over to them, he held a rolled joint is his large, hairy hands. He shooed Kate off the couch. "Go away, Kate."

"She can stay," the Boss sighed. 

Magnus opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. It obviously hurt like hell, because her face was ashen and was covered in a sheen of perspiration by the time the Big Guy had her propped into a sitting position and put the lit joint between her lips. 

A few drags and there was a noticeable relaxing of her the tension in her shoulders. Kate was relieved, because she'd never seen Helen Magnus look vulnerable before. Angry, sad, grief stricken, happy, and even stark raving mad, but never the strange mellow softness a few puffs of marijuana brought on. "Henry said something about modern pain killers not working so well…"

"Henry has a big mouth," Biggie grunted. 

Magnus laid a subduing hand on his arm. "Narcotic pain killers metabolize unpredictably in my system. The doses I require to deal with extreme pain aren't really safe. I don't normally take this much damage on missions, but we've found marijuana slows down the processing of the painkillers, and in some cases I don't require narcotics at all."

Biggie grunted at her, after looking into her eyes with a penlight. "Concussion."

"I was afraid of that." Magnus sagged against the pillows. "I've been given the choice of napping in here on the couch, where Will can watch me on the monitors, or being carried to the infirmary like a child." She watched at Kate solemnly while she took another drag and held the smoke for a three count before exhaling. "I'm a terrible patient. I admit it freely. If they make me go to the infirmary, it won't be more than a day before they'll be forced to use restraints to keep me there. "

Biggie snorted and rolled his eyes at them. "I've had worse," the Big Guy shrugged. 

Kate wasn't a good patient, either. And the first time she spent in the infirmary, she'd been handcuffed to the bedrail. Her wince was met by a smile from Magnus. 

"I prefer to be the one doing the restraining…" 

The smoke from the joint may have been getting to Kate because Magnus casually discussing bondage made her chuckle. Which earned her another disapproving grunt from the Big Guy and a light slap on the back of her head. 

"You should go," the Big Guy growled. "Magnus is going to the infirmary." It was a rare think when the imposing figure contradicted the Boss, but it did happen. 

Magnus gave a long suffering sigh, but she didn't resist as he scooped her up from her nest of pillows as if she weighed no more than a child. 

"Could you bring some pillows, Kate?" Magnus called, as the Big Guy carried her away.


End file.
